Getting the most from coaching in sport – part 2

Written by Stuart Haden on June 12, 2014

Now the World Cup really is upon us as Brazil and Croatia get the ball well and truly rolling. Will flair prevail as the Brazilians delight the home crowds. Or will the coachable Germans and Italians grind out another competition. Perhaps a combination of both will lead to success maybe, the Spanish – coachable yet precise….

As one of the first recognized texts to hit the bookshelves I also focus on the player so that he/she can get the most from coaching, whether it be an individual or team environment. Important on the 13th of July in Rio at the World Cup final or down your local tennis club, the same rules still apply. Enabling readers to connect with the book I designed it on two levels. First, it provides a narrative of what it is like to be a player – peppered with personal examples as my observations unfold. Second, I describe theories, tools and techniques that individuals can apply to improve their performance. As I describe in this video coachability can be summed up by considering your possibilities, challenging perception and changing performance

  • Consider your possibilities and be aware? Locating your inner drives so that you can be authentic. Embracing change so that you can work on what is getting your attention. Recognising emotions so that you can move on from situations that have held you back in the past.
  • Challenge your perception and adapt? Developing curiosity so that you can reflect on your performance. Welcoming challenge so that you can create enough tension for improvement. Inviting questions that can take you and others to the next level.
  • Change your performance and action? Setting goals so that you are clear on your direction. Nurturing systems so that the networks around you serve your goals. Harnessing energy so that you have the motivation to be coached.

As we have seen attending to your levels of coachability is a small yet significant contributor to your performance. To get started in this area assess your ability to work with a coach in the 9 areas stated above (in italics). Greater skill in these nine areas (the nine chapters of the book) will allow you to make the right choices when working with a coach, get you ready for coaching and have improved coachability.

More info and the link to Amazon is on my website http://www.stormbeach.co.uk/book/ You can also sign up for a free ebook introduction to my book as well as accessing other videos on my YouTube site. I also run workshops, masterclasses and online programs in this area. But don’t take my word for it, here is what the few of my sporting icons had to say…

“The Premier League is the most competitive League in the world, and in the last three seasons I noticed the biggest differences are to be found in the area of mental fitness. There is more and more literature in this important area, but in my view, nobody presents a method that works on developing coachability – affecting the coach, coachee and their territory, as successfully as It’s Not About The Coach.

Everyone is a coachee whether it be in sport, work or life – this book will help you to maximize individual potential and even surprise yourself with your hidden talents. Opening the door into developing a necessary method to self coaching. Enjoy the reading, the results will be extraordinary.”
Roberto Martinez, Everton FC Premier League football manager

“In sport we neglect the importance coachability of players at our peril. Likewise in business we must place further emphasis on the coachee so that they can get the best from coaching and reach their true potential. It’s Not About The Coach is a must read for anybody looking to improve their performance on or off the field.”
Robert Jones MBE, Wales and British & Irish Lions Rugby Union

I wish you well in all your sporting success and would love to hear from you, Stuart.